In 2010 APGA and US Forest Service entered into an unprecedented cooperative agreement. This rarely used member benefit gives APGA institutions access to Forest Service resources for research, education, and conservation, including streamlining processes for obtaining permits, and leverages APGA gardens to further priorities of the Forest Service. This session presents gardens and their programs which have successfully used the MOU to collaborate with the Forest Service, along with some challenges. The Forest Service will talk about their initiatives, how they like to partner, and opportunities for leveraging living plant collections and Forest Service resources to conserve trees.